“I look at last year and I thought Indiana — do they make the Eastern finals if they don’t have this tournament,” Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers pondered Friday, on the eve of the 2024 NBA Cup final four in Las Vegas. “It gives you kind of a free practice run on playoff situations,” Rivers added.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo headline the NBA Cup finals. Both MVP candidates can utilize the national platform to boost their MVP cases. While the Thunder have been the league's best team, the Bucks are always a viable title threat and have recently played better.